Automatic measuring hopper



April 8, 1930.

H. H. BARBER AUTOMATIC MEASURING HOPPER Filed July 16 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l April s, 1930T H. H. BARBER AUTOMATI C MEASURI NG HOPPER Filed July 16 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet ri2 April 8, 1930. H. H. BARBER 1,753,546

l AUTOMATIC MEASURING HbPPER Find July 16, 192e '3 Sheets-sheet 3 o q n yzo Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED-STATES PAT-ENT oi-Fl'ca HARRY H. BARBER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BARBER-GREENE COMPANY,

A OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS AUTOMATIC MEASURING HOPPEE App/ligation mea July 1s 192e. sei-a1 mi.. masia.

This invention relates Lto a device for handling material such as sand, gravel, crushed stone or the like, and its purpose is to provide areceptacle for measuring a deinite quantity of such material and discharging such quantity into a truck, vbin or other receptacle for use. The invention consists of certain features and elements of construction in combination as herein -shownand described and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a materialloading machine fitted with a measuring hop- A per embodying this invention, and showing the hopper in receiving position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the hopper in discharging position showing only a fragment of the loader on which it is mounted. y Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the hopper as it appears in discharging position.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation showing the hopper returned to receiving position.

speciiications is tion of an excesslve proportion of sand or gravel to the cement, but when an open hop- Figure 5 is a side elevation showing the upper portion of the loading machine and the opposite side of the measuring hopper from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation showing theA hopper swung about its vertical pivot mounting for discharge at one side of the loader.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective detail view of the locking means for the tail gate lof the'hopper.

For many uses of loose material such as I sand, gravel or stone, it is important to measure the material accurately, especially when it is employed in mixing concrete to defin1te specifications. The purpose of limiting usually to prevent the addiper or measuring receptacle is used, it is likel'y to be heaped full with the sand or gravel with the result that too large a quantityrof this material is dumped into the mixing maJ chine, even though the specified 'or indicated number of hopper loads is not exceeded; In

using any measuring receptacle,'therefore, it

offiz principle by whicha leveling blade is l referable to employ the socalledstrike carried across the top of the receptacle to source of material -ingfrom the vertical strike ofi' any excess material heaped up therein and thus insure that a uniform quantity is added to the mixture each time the hopper is dumped.

Y My invention relates to a'device of this character and for purposes of illustration I have shown it as associated with a bucket loader, though it may be understood it is 4equally well adapted for use in' connection with a fixed storage bin or with `any other supply.

' Referring first to Figure 1, theloading machine is shown mounted on a crawler tractor, 1, and comprises a boom, 2, upon which an a endless chain, 3, is mounted for carrying 65 buckets, 4, upwardly along an inclined path for elevating material from the lower end to the upper end of the boom. At the lower end this particular machine is fitted with horizontally Protating feeddisks, 5, vwhich w terial which clings to the 'buckets while they `are rounding the head wheels,

6, and then 8 subsequentlydrops oli', is carried to the lower endw ofthe machine to be picked up by the disks, 5, and again fed into lthe buckets,`4. p The measuring hopperfconsists of' areceptacle, 9, of approximately triangular cross section and just above it is mounted a receiving. hopper, 10, into which the material iiows from the chute, 7. yIn its receiving-position as shown in Figure 1, the front and back walls, 11' and 12, respectively, of the hopper, 9, converge upwardly to the receiving mouth which registers with the discharge openin of the hopper, 10. The hopper, 9, is vfitte with rockers, 13, which are. preferably fo'rmed with teeth, 14;, engaging apertures, 15, in horizontal supporting arms, 16. The supporting frame of which the arms, 16, are a part, includes verticalmembers, 17, risframe members, 18 of together with `oblique 10 the loader vehicle,

braces, 19, anchored to the vehicle at 20, and a fabricated triangle of angle members, 21, 22 .and 23, which serves to rc-entorce each horizontal arm, 16, and also to support the receiving hopper, 10.

The rockers, 13, allow the hopper, 9, to turn through approximately 90 degrees and to c'fect this movement l provide cables, 24, atl

tached to the lower forward corners of the hopper and extending around suitable drums on a winding shai't, 25. Said shaft is fitted with a gear. .26, meshing with a pinion, 2T,

on a short shaft, 28. which carries a slieave. 29,`and operating chain, 30. by which hand power may be applied for tilting the hopper, 9.l from receiving position to discharge position as shown in Figure 2. At the beginning in the initial position of the hopper, 9, servesv -as a discharge chute by which the excess niaterial is directed downwardly to a receiving chute, 33, which leads it into' the lower boot, 34,-ot the return chute system and thus directs it toward the rotating disks, 5. by which it is returned in position to be picked up by 4the buckets, 4. The material. therefore. is

not wasted, but is prevented from being discharged with the material which. remains in gate, 35, i

the measuring hopper, 9.

The measuring hopper is provided with a tail gate, 35, having laterally projecting lugs, 36, which engage under guard flanges, 37, on the supporting frame when the hopper, 9. stands in receiving position. as in Figure 1. As the hopper is rocked towarddischarge position, the lugs, 36, are lowered out of engagement with the anges',37, and the tail 's'thus free to swing open about itshinge axis, 38..so as to release the material in the hopper, 9. The tail gateis clearly seen in open position in Figure 3. When the hopper, 9, is returned to initial position after discharging its load. the lugs.,36, meet the outwardly flared ends, 39, of the flanges, 37. and are drawn under said flanges so that'the tail gate is again locked in closedlposition when the hopper mouth, 31, is registered under' the receiver. 10. ,This locked position of the tail gate is clearly shown in Figure 4.

For rocking the hopper, 9, from the position shown'in Figure 2 back to its initial receiving position I provide cables, 40, which may be integral with cables, 24, and are attached near the upper corners of the hopper adjacent the receiving mouth,- 31, and wind 'these cables about the same shaft, 25, which operates the cables, 24. Thusas the latter are wound up in tilting the hopper, 9 to dumping position, the cables, 40,l are paid out to the archway extent shown in Figure 2, and by reversing the rotation of the shaft, 25, the cables, 40,

are wound and cables, 24, are paid out by ar corresponding amount. This keeps the hopper, 9, in control at all times and avoids unnecessary shock to the apparatus. Especially 'in working with concrete mixtures it is necessary to vary the proportions of sand and aggregate in making concrete for different purposes, and it is therefore desirable to vary the capacity of the measuring hopper, 9. For this purpose I provide a. false bottom, 41, hinged at 42, near the tailgate, 35, and adapted to swing within the hopper so as to be secured by bolts at any one of the double series of holes. 43. provided in the side walls for that purpose. Owing to the triangular shape of the hopper body, the length of the false bottom must be altered according to its particular angular position. and this is taken care of by providing a slidably adjustable extension member, 44, at the free end of the part, 41. Clamping bolts engaging slots in the plate, 41. maybe tightened to hold the extension plate, 44, at-any position of adpistment. l

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the hopper, 9, discharges rearwardly of the loading machine, but in some situations it is desirable to have it discharge at one side of the machine. For this purpose the frame work which carries the horizontal supporting members, 16, may be attached to the vehicle frame, 18, at a vertical hinge axis, 45, as seen in Figure 5, so that after the measuring hopper, 9, has been illed through the receiver, 10, it may be tilted slightly to efe'ct the strike oli 'operation, and then thesupporting frame work may be swung laterally about the axis, 45, to a position such as that shown in Figure 6,' in which the hopper, 9, may be tipped over to discharging position and then returned to receiving position before the frame is swung back under the chute, "7. As will be noted, i

the receiving hopper, 10, is carried with the4 hopper, 9, when it is swung' laterally, but in the process of striking oi the hopper, 9. the material `accumulated inthe hopper, 10, is

irst discharged downwardly alongl the. in-v the boom ofthe loader by tilting it, as indicated in dotted'lines on Figure 1. Frequent# l'y in transporting a machine from one job to another, its height must be reduced to remove it undera viaduct or bridge or through the of a building leading to a material yard or the like, 9, can be swung out of the way tooneside of the machine so as to permit swinging the boom in which cases the hopper,

- opening between downwardly into the space normally occupied by the hopper.

I claim l. T he combination of a measuring hopper -tiltably mounted, a receiver abovesaid hopper' in position to direct material into the same the receiver during the dumping movement, and a' loading machine comprising. an endless inclined load-carrying member With a return c'hute extending thereunder from a pointadjacent said inclined wall of the hopper downwardly towa rt/l/fthe receiving end of the loader. f

3. In a measuringliopper tiltably mounted having a receivingopening at its upper end and a `discharge opening at the bottom thereof, a gate normally closing said -discharge opening, a false bottom in said hopper adjustable to a plurality of positions for varying the capacity of the hopper.

In a measuring hopper tiltably mounted and having a receiving opening at its upper side, and a discharge -opening adjacent its bottom Wall at one sidethereofa gate on said hopper normally closing the discharge opening, a false bottom pivoted on a horizontal axis adjacent the discharge opening and adjustable about said axis for varyingthe capacit)` of the hopper.

y5. In the combination defined in claim 4, said false bottom having a slidablyextensible portion adjustable for fitting into contact with the`\wall at the side opposite the dis` charge opening. j v 6. A measuring hopper comprising substantially vertical side walls and three transverse ivalls connecting them in approximate-4- ly triangular relation to each other, a receiving opening from which two of said Walls slope in oppositeidirections when the hopper is in receiving position, said hopper being mounted for tilting and having-a discharge one 'of said sloping ivalls and the third or bottom Wall.

7 In thecombination defined in claim 6. a

, receiver normally positioned above the receiving opening of the Ihopper and past which one of said sloping walls moves in the tilting, to-

gether with a return chute toward lwhich material is directed over' Vsaid VslopingWallfasf'tilting movement, a

the hopper is tilted.'

8. In combination ivith a loading machine comprising an inclined bucket elevator, a

measuring hopper and a horizontal track ltherefor disposed under the upper end of the loader,

from receiving position to discharge position, a winding drum and a cable thereon having its opposite ends connected respectively to an upper and a lower portion of the hopper whereby rotation of the drum efiects the roekiiig movement of the hopper.

9. In combination with a loading machine comprising an endless inclined load-carrying member, a receiving hopperldisposed under the upper end ofsaid member, a measuring hopper into Which the receiving hopper discharges by gravity. said measuring hopper being tiltably mounted for discharge, a horizon-tally extending frame supporting both hoppers and hinged to swing about a vertical pivot for discharging at one side of the loading machine, said measuring hopperv being mounted for tilting and having an inclined wall sloping downwardly tovva rd said axis and toward the loading member of the machine, said Wall swinging under the receiving hopper in the initial portion of the tilting movementof the measuring hopper for deflecting material flowing from the receiving hopper during the discharge interval and a return chute extending under the loading member to receive such deflected material and direct it toward the load-i ing end of the machine. l l

10. In a measuring hopper having a receiving opening and a discharge opening, a tail gate for the latter, a strike-ofi' blade arranged to lco-operate with the receiving opening for leveling the material and means for holding the tail gate closed during such leveling oper.

ation of the strike-off blade.

11. In a measuring hopper having an upwardly opening receiving mouth and a discharge opening in the lower portion of the hopper, said hopper being tiltably mounted,

a fixed strike-ofi blade past Which'tbe receiving mouth moves in the initial portion of the tilting movement and a closure for the discharge opening arranged to prevent discharge therethrough during said initial portion of the tilting movement.

12. In the'combination defined in claim 11,

said closurebeing a tail gate hinged to then hopper, a lug on said gateand a fixed cam' which engages said lug during the initial.

said hopper having rockers arranged to roll on the track for tilting the hopper aivav from the hinge axis.

vportion-of the tilting movement ofthe hopp for holding the tailgate closed and from W iich said lug escapes by further tiltin of the hopper after completion of the strike-oft' operation.

13. The combination with la measuring hopper, of means for receiver above said hopper in position to direct material to said hopper, means for tilting the measuring hopper supporting the same for 4 for discharging its contents, a strike off blade carried by the receiver for levelling off the contents of the hopper as it tilts past the blade said hopper having a Wall which extends in inclined position under the receiver during the tilting of the hopper for directing the material levelled oli by the strike oit blade. Y

14. In a loading machine, a measuring hopper. means for supporting said hopper for tilting movement, means for tilting the hopper for discharging its contents, a tail gate for the discharge opening hinged on a horizontal axis at its upper edge and depending therefrom when the hopper stands inreceiving position, a lug' on said gate and a fixed member with respect to which the hopper moves in tilting for discharge, said member engaging said lug for holding the gate closed While the hopper remains in receiving position.

, 15. In an apparatus of theclass described, a measuring hopper, means for supporting said hopper for tliting movement, means for tilting said hopper a tail gate upon said hopper means for holding said gate in closed position while said hopper is in receiving position and means whereby said gate is released or opening movement upon a tilting movement of said hopper toawrds discharging position.

16. The combination with a loading machine, of a measuring hopper for receiving material from said loading machine, means for supporting said hopper for tilting movement, a discharge gate on said hopper, and means for normally maintaining said gatein closed position, and for releasing said gate for opening movement upon a tilting movement'of saidhoppei' to discharging position.

17. ,In an apparatus of the class described, a measuring hopper,-means .for supporting said hopper for tilting movement, a discharge gate on said hopper, said discharge gate having laterally extending lugs, and means in the path of said lugs forgholding said gate in closed osition, when said hopper is in a predetermined position, and for releasing said gate when said hopper is moved from said predetermined position.

18. In a loader, a measuring `device ada ted for receiving material from the loa er, means for supporting said measurmgdevlce for tilting movement, means for tiltin sa1d measuring device to and fro, a strike o plate for leveling said measuring device during its tilting movement, means for directing the spillage from said measuring device to said loader, a device. and means for opening and closing said discharge gate during the tilting movement of said measuring device.

` HARRY H.' BARBER.

discharge gate on said measuring 

